I make jewelry by weaving a frame from copper wire for a gemstone, then making copper coils or spirals, etc for further decoration. Even 'on the roll', the copper wire smells bad - and the smell increases as I work with the wire. The smell also clings to my hands, and I have to wash it off. I read about the chemistry that is created when copper touches skin. But the problem is, copper jewelry that has been hanging, without being worn, has begun to smell even worse - to the point that I can't even consider hanging it around my neck. Can you give me a reason for this odor (not a chemical reaction after touching my skin), and hopefully a remedy for it? I would hate to imagine what other sensitive customers would think after having one of my jewelry pieces for a few months. Thanks for helping.
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1Do you observe any change to the copper other than the smell? Does it become dark, or flaky, or does the surface roughen? – Nicolau Saker Neto Apr 06 '19 at 02:47
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1see: https://chemistry.stackexchange.com/a/7917/22102 – MaxW Apr 06 '19 at 04:21
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I've never heard of jewelry made with pure copper, only as a part of alloys — and that is probably the reason as it gets corroded quickly when exposed to sweat, not to mention it's cheap, and looks and feels accordingly. – andselisk Apr 06 '19 at 07:10